History is not a single definitive narrative, but rather a collection of individual perspectives shaped by personal, cultural, and societal influences. Each person interprets and contributes to history in their own way, based on factors like religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Instead of seeking a more accurate history, the focus should be on complicating historical stories to encompass diverse viewpoints. However, there is a political agenda to history, evident in the romanticization of the past to serve a present narrative. This romanticization often involves sanitizing the violent and unpleasant aspects of history to create a more palatable version of the past, which ultimately serves to maintain a romanticized present.
Have you ever recalled a story only to have someone point out "that's not how it went"? Well, what happens when what we misrepresent are our historical narratives? David Ikard is a Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. In this episode, he talks about the societal and personal dangers of inaccurate history knowledge, and uncovers the real story of one of history’s most iconic figures. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts